Club Statement

Forfar Athletic can this morning confirm that Dale Hilson has departed Station Park and moved to Arbroath, with Steven Doris moving in the opposite direction and signing an 18-month contract with the ‘Loons.’

Forfar Athletic have also received a five-figure transfer fee.

Many Athies supporters will, of course, be disappointed with Dale’s departure.    He began his stint at Station Park as a 17-year-old back in 2010 on a temporary transfer from Dundee United and has consequently gone on to make over 200 appearances for the club, netting over 50 goals in various spells since on loan and as a fully-fledged Forfar Athletic player for the last two years.

However his current contract was due to expire a the end of this campaign and although Dale had not firmly ‘shut the door’ on his Forfar Athletic career, he had made it plain that he seriously wished to consider other options.

With a handful of clubs having intimated officially to the club in recent weeks that they wished to speak to Dale in regard to a potential pre-contract agreement.    The ‘Loons’ Management and Directors felt that when Arbroath made the offer in a very professional manner it has to be said earlier in the week, it was one in the circumstances they could not turn down.

Dale leaves the club with the best wishes of all for his future in the game and there will always be a welcome for him at Station Park.

As mentioned experienced striker Steven Doris has moved in the opposite direction as part of the deal.

The 31-year-old Perth based forward began his senior career in 2005 at McDiarmid Park and has since worn the colours of Montrose on loan, Arbroath both on loan and on a permanent basis, Dundee and Stirling Albion.

He has made in excess of 300 senior appearances netting around a century of goals.     Steven played for his new side in a closed-door friendly on Thursday and will go straight into the squad for next weekend’s visit to Falkirk.

Stuart Malcolm and his management team are confident that Steven and George Stanger will not be the last of the new faces in the squad by the end of the transfer registration window on 31^st January, while loan signings at our level are still permitted within the quota of four per club until February 29^th.

In fact, Stuart is more than hopeful that a further signing or two will be in place within the next week.

Watch this space!